登陆注册
15492300000048

第48章 CHAPTER I: GOING NUTTING(1)

Dick, dressed in his 'second-best' suit, burst into Fancy's sitting-room with a glow of pleasure on his face.

It was two o'clock on Friday, the day be fore her contemplated visit to her father, and for some reason connected with cleaning the school the children had been given this Friday afternoon for pastime, in addition to the usual Saturday.

"Fancy! it happens just right that it is a leisure half day with you. Smart is lame in his near-foot-afore, and so, as I can't do anything, I've made a holiday afternoon of it, and am come for you to go nutting with me!"

She was sitting by the parlour window, with a blue frock lying across her lap and scissors in her hand.

"Go nutting! Yes. But I'm afraid I can't go for an hour or so."

"Why not? 'Tis the only spare afternoon we may both have together for weeks."

"This dress of mine, that I am going to wear on Sunday at Yalbury;--I find it fits so badly that I must alter it a little, after all. I told the dressmaker to make it by a pattern I gave her at the time; instead of that, she did it her own way, and made me look a perfect fright."

"How long will you be?" he inquired, looking rather disappointed.

"Not long. Do wait and talk to me; come, do, dear."

Dick sat down. The talking progressed very favourably, amid the snipping and sewing, till about half-past two, at which time his conversation began to be varied by a slight tapping upon his toe with a walking-stick he had cut from the hedge as he came along.

Fancy talked and answered him, but sometimes the answers were so negligently given, that it was evident her thoughts lay for the greater part in her lap with the blue dress.

The clock struck three. Dick arose from his seat, walked round the room with his hands behind him, examined all the furniture, then sounded a few notes on the harmonium, then looked inside all the books he could find, then smoothed Fancy's head with his hand.

Still the snipping and sewing went on.

The clock struck four. Dick fidgeted about, yawned privately; counted the knots in the table, yawned publicly; counted the flies on the ceiling, yawned horribly; went into the kitchen and scullery, and so thoroughly studied the principle upon which the pump was constructed that he could have delivered a lecture on the subject.

Stepping back to Fancy, and finding still that she had not done, he went into her garden and looked at her cabbages and potatoes, and reminded himself that they seemed to him to wear a decidedly feminine aspect; then pulled up several weeds, and came in again.

The clock struck five, and still the snipping and sewing went on.

Dick attempted to kill a fly, peeled all the rind off his walking-stick, then threw the stick into the scullery because it was spoilt, produced hideous discords from the harmonium, and accidentally overturned a vase of flowers, the water from which ran in a rill across the table and dribbled to the floor, where it formed a lake, the shape of which, after the lapse of a few minutes, he began to modify considerably with his foot, till it was like a map of England and Wales.

"Well, Dick, you needn't have made quite such a mess."

"Well, I needn't, I suppose." He walked up to the blue dress, and looked at it with a rigid gaze. Then an idea seemed to cross his brain.

"Fancy."

"Yes."

"I thought you said you were going to wear your gray gown all day to-morrow on your trip to Yalbury, and in the evening too, when I shall be with you, and ask your father for you?"

"So I am."

"And the blue one only on Sunday?"

"And the blue one Sunday."

"Well, dear, I sha'n't be at Yalbury Sunday to see it."

"No, but I shall walk to Longpuddle church in the afternoon with father, and such lots of people will be looking at me there, you know; and it did set so badly round the neck."

"I never noticed it, and 'tis like nobody else would."

"They might."

"Then why not wear the gray one on Sunday as well? 'Tis as pretty as the blue one."

"I might make the gray one do, certainly. But it isn't so good; it didn't cost half so much as this one, and besides, it would be the same I wore Saturday."

"Then wear the striped one, dear."

"I might."

"Or the dark one."

"Yes, I might; but I want to wear a fresh one they haven't seen."

"I see, I see," said Dick, in a voice in which the tones of love were decidedly inconvenienced by a considerable emphasis, his thoughts meanwhile running as follows: "I, the man she loves best in the world, as she says, am to understand that my poor half-holiday is to be lost, because she wants to wear on Sunday a gown there is not the slightest necessity for wearing, simply, in fact, to appear more striking than usual in the eyes of Longpuddle young men; and I not there, either."

"Then there are three dresses good enough for my eyes, but neither is good enough for the youths of Longpuddle," he said.

"No, not that exactly, Dick. Still, you see, I do want--to look pretty to them--there, that's honest! But I sha'n't be much longer."

"How much?"

"A quarter of an hour."

"Very well; I'll come in in a quarter of an hour."

"Why go away?"

"I mid as well."

同类推荐
  • Alfred Tennyson

    Alfred Tennyson

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 金刚寿命陀罗尼念诵法

    金刚寿命陀罗尼念诵法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 龙树菩萨劝诫王颂

    龙树菩萨劝诫王颂

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 丹房须知

    丹房须知

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 分别功德论

    分别功德论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 异恋:城少有名子鱼

    异恋:城少有名子鱼

    对于自己的身世,她知道,但也不知道。她很喜欢水,但从二十岁之后,在游泳时总会看到一些发生在自己身上不可思议的事情。
  • 九境归真

    九境归真

    三千世界,梦里探花,万人得梦,几人得花。便又有那多少人,心中想,口中问,我是谁,你是谁。
  • 凰途

    凰途

    西汶大陆,镜河国公主蔺沫媚,生得绝尘艳艳,美若天仙,她古灵精怪,喜好游历世界,见识各种各样的事物,却不料在命运之中却遇上另外一个改变她一生乃至她国家的男人。上官络云,月水国的三皇子,冷傲孤凡,英俊威武,他从来不为她人留情,一心征战沙场,为国效力。当上官络云带领兵队前去踏平镜河国时,蔺沫媚这位高高在上的公主沦落成为亡国奴、阶下囚。她本应该憎恨他,但命运抓弄,她在图谋复国之时却偏偏喜欢上这个覆灭自己国家的男人。前路漫漫,蔺沫媚来到人生的十字路口,在抉择自己幸福之时,她到底会选择自己国家,还是选择自己的爱情?
  • 时则域境

    时则域境

    吾为此生,祭献九世姻缘,只为与汝等再遇。。。战都王府梓羽将手中的玉佩递给孤陌,而孤陌望着那异常熟悉的身影微愣住了。只是面前的人带了面具,看不清面容,而墨姑娘,早已死于非命。“玙溪界属洛馆主邀请离王爷去参加洛界酒馆的宴会”“羽儿”殇离把手伸向梓羽梓羽后退了一步“玉佩我留下,还请离王爷,准时到。”“我们,已经生疏到这个地步了么?”
  • 萌宠追婚100次:请你爱我

    萌宠追婚100次:请你爱我

    五年前的背叛,他心如刀绞,一场意外,她忘记了所有,只记得她的景哥哥。当他看到忘记一切的宁姗姗,他也忘记了所有的一切,忘记她的背叛,忘记了她的无情,选择了从新开始。五年后,原本以为所有的事情都已经结束,他们会一直一直幸福下去的。可阴谋又在他们之间慢慢滋生着,直到彻底爆发的那一天。他看着她悲痛的说,“甜心,我可以承受一次背叛,可是这一次,我承受不住了。”看着他决绝的背影,她不停的痛哭摇头,“景哥哥,没有,我从来都没有背叛过你!”这个世界上,有那么一些人,是注定要在一起的,无论痛苦还是快乐,他们都是要在一起的。就好比林景轩和宁姗姗,这一辈子,他们都要在一起,否则他们没有办法在这个世界活下去。
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 大道都市

    大道都市

    一场平淡无奇的校园生活,一个个神秘莫测的家族势力牵扯其中,为的是利益的争夺,还是权利的博弈,就让我平凡的郝天伤一一来会!!(第一次写,写的不好,希望大家给我写下去的动力,空空谢谢了)
  • 龙食

    龙食

    天地孕育万物,世人感恩天地,然而天地为什么要孕育万物,只是为了让这个世界更加精彩吗?天地只是天地吗?还是......
  • 三千独宠

    三千独宠

    【蓬莱岛】她是逍遥王爷的宠妃,却被囚禁在凤阳侯的府中。权倾朝野的侯爷,一个无权无势的王爷……他被世人讥讽绿云罩顶,依然不改初衷。他玩弄权势,用权力把人困在自己身边,可最后失去的却是……
  • 明伦汇编皇极典治道部

    明伦汇编皇极典治道部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。